1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic transaxle for a front engine-front drive vehicle and more particularly to a casing for such an automatic transaxle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An example of a prior art automatic transaxle is discribed in "Service Manual for Toyota A140 Automatic Transmission", published in May, 1985 by Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. and also shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.
The transaxle includes a transaxle case having a converter housing section "a", transmission case section "b" and side cover "c". The transmission case section "b" has a main power train receiving portion "d" for receiving therein a main power train of a transmission and a differential side cover portion "e" cooperating with a portion "al" of the converter housing section "a" for receiving therein a final drive gear and a differential. A center axis of concentric input and out put gears constituting part of the main power train is indicated by "f" in FIG. 7. A center axis of a reduction gear or idler gear "j" in the form of a worm gear is indicated by "g". A center axis of the final drive gear or final drive shaft is indicated by "h". The output gear is meshed with the idler gear which is in turn meshed with the final drive gear. A governor is generally indicated by "i" and driven by a worm wheel "k" concentrically installed thereon and meshed with the worm gear "j".
The transmission case section "b" has a reinforcement "l" (refer to FIG. 6) between the main power train receiving portion "d" and differential side cover portion "e" for rigidly together.
As seen from FIG. 7, the governor "i" is arranged between the center axis "f" of the output shaft and the center axis "g" of the reduction gear in such a way as to axially extend along a line nearer to the horizontal than to the vertical. The governor "i" is received in a hollow governor receiving portion "m" of the transmission case section "b". The governor receiving portion "m" thus forms an opening "n" in a nearly vertical peripheral wall portion of the transmission case section "b". Such a governor receiving portion "m" reduces the structural strength of the transmission case section "b" and therefore requires additional reinforcements. This inevitably increases the weight of the automatic transaxle.